The amount of the subsidy depends on the size of the company and ranges between 50% and 80% of the staff and operating costs of the PhD student.

Budget and allowable costs

A Baekeland mandate provides funding for the staffing costs, the overhead costs and the operational costs in relation to one specific employee (the mandate holder). The standard rules of the VLAIO cost model apply a priori. The sum of the non-pay-roll costs (= overhead + operational costs) is maximum €50,000 per FTE (full-time equivalent) (or maximum €200,000 for the whole project period).

At the end of the project, the consortium must be able to prove its expenses if requested by VLAIO.

Travel credit

Within the Baekeland programme, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship aims to encourage the PhD student’s mobility, not only between the academic and industrial world, but also internationally. Baekeland mandate holders can request a travel grant to allow them to stay abroad for at least three months.

To make it possible for foreign candidates to prepare them the best they can for the defence before a panel of experts and to offer them the chance to be actively involved in shaping a project proposal, it is also possible to receive credit for travel expenses made before the defence (placement and/ or training costs). Costs made in regard to short stays abroad (< 3 months) and attendance at international conferences and workshops during the PhD programme can self-evidently be included in the overall budget.

Funding percentage

The amount of the subsidy is based on the approved budget and the size of the company. The funding percentage equals 50% for a large company, 60% for a medium-sized company and 70% for a small company. The project can get 10% extra support if there is a well-balanced cooperation between several independent companies of which none of the companies contributes more than 70% of the cost and at least one partner is an SME. VLAIO pays the subsidy to the company responsible for the full reimbursement of its partners.